Automobile.



PATENTED JULY N, 1908.

C.l SNW.

AUTOMOBILE. y APPLICATION 11LE1 JAPR.8, 1907.

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Noi 893,107 PATENTED JULY 1 4, v190s.

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AUTOMOBILE. APPLICATION .FILED APR/a, 1907.

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PATENTED JULY 14, 1908.

C. SNOW. AUTOMOBILE. APPLICATION PILB'D APR. a, 1907.

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CHARLES SNOW, OlYSAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMOBILE Specification of Letters Patent.

Yatented July 14, 1908;

Application tiled April 8, 1907. Serial No. 366,934.

To all 'whom 'ii 'may concern: i y U Be it known th et I, (ln/limits SNOW, :i citi- Zen of the United States, residingy fit San Francisco, in the/county ol San Francisco' and State of Californie, have invented new sind useful lmpro'vei'nents in Autoiuobiles, of which the following is i1 specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide :in improved construction ol outoniobiie which shell 'ne simple, end durable, thus renderingq it especially valuable for coniiiiercinl use, and also for oountr)r ronds hay ing deei'iiits and high in the centers, in which the driving power may be applied to hoth pairs ol Wheels, in which likewise the braking;- niechanism can ,be elite-tively' epilied to 'hoth pairs of Wheels and in which hotl'i pairs ina-y be turned 'l'or steering.,

In. the :icco'inpsnying drawings, Figure l :t loiigituiliniil section of the chassis of mi sutonmhilo equipped with my improveinenls, Fig. 2 nipliin View ol one of the lilth wheels, certa-io pertsheing omitted; Fie'. il is ai side 'View ol thi` springsupporting hlorh which is holted to the upper. ring of seid ll'th wheellshoxring also the 'side spring` lthereon; Fig'. l is s plan View of seid hloclr;y

Fig. is nu enlarged sectionzil View through scrfion ol' n driving; shrill, section: lfig'. lil is :L

vertical section ol' ihc ronnmftiou ol' the drivin'gj .shell wird either :ivxlo: Fig.. lion nl lhe right :ingles to Fig, lil.

lel'erriiug lo the drawing, l indicates the l'ixlme ol ihr iuioniohile, hir-h muy he ol` sire! or armored Wood Suid l'rzuuc is supported :ii verh cud hy philloriirsprings` lhzit is. two side springs 2 :1nd n. transverse sprint)r Il, the laitier roniieclcd :u euch cuil lo one of the side springs; so tlm! mere is thus formed :i very llexihle chassis. Euch side sprinti` is holled iu the middle lo :i spring hloch {lhmiiuf :i rui-wd leise 5, which is sei-ured to the u iper ring fr; ol' n, rotary hose, or lilith wheel. There :ire two ol' ihrse lil'ih wheels, the lroiil; wheel :ind the rin-ir wheel T, sind theeons coiled spring 35.

vloviv'er ring of each 'lii'th wheel is `in fuse. liront or the rein iixle, it is only necessary to i.

struction is the siii'ne lor both.o Erich coniprises sn u )per ring 8 and e lower ring Q, the

upper ring invingI inner sind outer lliinges 10 extending dowirc-lose to theI ,inner and outer edges of the lower ring. 'lhe inner oi opposing horizontal feces of sri-id upper and lower rings are formed with circular grooves 12,

forming a runway l'or bells 13 to permit the upper ring to rotate freely on the. lower. To

hold said riiigstogether against vertical nio-v ltion, there oreprovided at suitable intervals 14:4,v W noli are secured to the upper U-cleinps ring by tsp bolts l5, and the lower en( s of each clamp forni hearings for the shalt 1G of :i roller i7 which rolls beneath the lower ring.

The hinges 10 sind clam 14 take the place of ii liii'ig. pin used in lift i wheels in general, and allow for the Vuse of the foui\vlieel steer ing mechanism hereinafter described. The secured by tsp holts 2l to on axle casing 22, through which pass the axle. sections of the l ront or rear wheels, as the ease ina-y be.

it will he lolwerved that, in this construction, provision has been inode. for replacing any pair-t without taking spart the Whole chassis, iisis necessary with cors at present Forinstsnce, to remove either the take out the i'our trip bolts that hold the lower ring on the axle casing, and the axle can.

he run out from under the chassis. The suine principle is adopted n1 regard to other parts.

By making the various ports reversible sind inteichengeshle, e greet increase in llength ol servire is obtained, the service being in sonic ceses doubled hy reversing the ports.

The mile cisings :ire connected to each other h3; reach' rods 23, which cross each other iliiigronallj,', sind connections' being imule hynieens of )folies 24 suspended from the axle ciisiiugs, the threaded ends of each rohe passing through holes lor'lncd in e clamp piece 26, nuts 13T being then screwed on sind threaded ends.

S11-oid chimp piece is lornied with n` hull-shaped hanger 30 which is received within i socket -l'ornied by the concave faces of enseduirdened Steel blocks 31,' Il?, contained Within n. tuhe 33 screwed at one end upon the end ol' the reach rod. The other end of the nieensw'l' screw )lug 34 which hea-irs against the block 32, whiie between the other block 3l and the end olE the reach rod is interposed This construction fur tuhe is ndjustahly closed hyA loe' the braking mechanism is very powerful and ellicient; eighth, the steering mechanism is very simple, easy, safe and quick.

1. An automobile comprising a frame, wheel axles, and front and rear iifth wheels supportin said frame upon said axles, each fifth whee being open in the ,center and comprisingr an upper ring and a lower ring turnmg thereunder, .the opposing faces of said rings being grooved to form a runway, balls v in said runwayand means for holding' said rings together against vertical motion, said means comprising U-clamps secured to one of said rings at suitable intervals, shafts carried at their ends, and aroller on each shaft rolling a l'ai'nst the other ring, substantially as described. p

2. An automobile comprising a frame, wheel axles, and front and rear iifth wheels supportin f said frame upon said axles, each 'fifth whee being open in the center and comprising an upper ring and a lower ring turnmg thereunder, axle casings, reach rods crossing eachother diagonally' and connected te the ends ofthe axle casings,vand means-for securing said axle casings to the lower rings of thciil'th wheels, substantially as described.

8. An automobile comprising a frame, wheel axles, and front and rear fifth wheels supporting said frame upon said axles, each fifth wheel being open in the center and comprising an upper rin(r and a lower ring turning thereunder, axle. casings, reachI rods crossing each other diagonally and resiliently connected to the ends of the axle casings, and means for securing said axle casings to the lower rings ofthe' lifth wheels, substantially as described.

4. An automobile comprising a frame, wheel axles, and front and rear fifth wheels supportingr said lraine upon said axles, each lifthwheel being open in the cem/:r and com- ,prisingl an upper ring and a lower ringturm ing thereunder, axle casings, 4reach rods crossing e'ach other diagonally and having resilient connections with said axle casing, each connection comprising a yclamp piece secured upon the axle casing and a ballfsha ed hanger, a tube secured upon the end.

oft e reach rod, blocks in said tube having concave opposing faces, and a spring within the tube bearing against one of said blocks,

substantially as described.

' 5. An automobile comprising a frame, wheel axles, and front and rear fifth wheels supportin said frame upon s'aid axles, each fifth whee being open in the center and comlng eren-nder, a ecasin s, reach rods crossing each other diagonall and having resilient conpecti'ons with said axle casing, each connection comprising a clamp piece secured upon the axle casing and a ballsha ed hanger, a tube secured upon the end oft e reach rod, blocks insaidtube having concave opposing faces, and a sprin within the tube bearing against one of sai blocks, and a lug adjustably secured a ainst the other b ook, substantially as descri ed.

6. An 'automobile comprising a frame, wheehaxles, and front and4 rear fth Wheels supportin said frame upon said axles, each fth whee being 4open in the center and comprising au u Vper rlng-and a lower ring turn lng thereun er, a segment ear secured upon the lower ring of one of t e fifth wheels, a pinion' engagin steering rod, and a bevel gear carried by said steering rod and engaging the other bevel gear, substantially as described. i

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing prising an upper rm and a lower ring turnsaid gear, a vertical shaft I therefor, a beve gear carriedby said shaft, a 

